Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon and who stood trial under the name Stephen Lennon, was found guilty on Wednesday 28 October 2026 of two counts of harassment causing fear of violence. The verdicts were returned at Southwark Crown Court in London by a jury majority of 10 to two, after deliberations lasting 11 hours and 25 minutes over two days. He had denied both charges. He was released on bail and is due to be sentenced at the same court on 16 December.

Guilty verdicts at Southwark Crown Court

The two journalists named in the case were freelance reporter Andrew Young and Daily Mail editor Jacob Dirnhuber. The court heard that Robinson hired private investigators to photograph their home addresses, posted material online, sent direct messages, and made a telephone call to Mr Young on 5 August 2024 in which he said: “I’m coming to get you.” Prosecutors described the conduct as intimidatory, while Robinson told the court he had intended to put pressure on the journalists and the newspaper rather than to threaten or physically harm them. The jury rejected that account on both counts.

How the case began

The charges related to events in August 2024, after three young girls were murdered in Southport that July and unrest spread across parts of England. Robinson was on holiday in Cyprus with his family when the Daily Mail tracked him down and published a story accusing him of influencing events in the UK from abroad. The trial heard that his response to that coverage, including repeated online posts and contacts with the journalists, formed the basis of the harassment charges. Sentencing in December will determine the penalty; no sentence had been imposed at the time of the verdicts.

Sources: Metropolitan Police, Reuters.